Spanish Beans with Tomatoes {easy, 20 mins}

These Spanish beans with tomatoes and smokey sweet spices are so easy to make in one pot in less than 20 minutes with just 7 ingredients. Only 125 calories per serving, this Spanish bean stew recipe is perfect as tapas, main meals or a side dish. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free.

Spanish Beans in Tomato Sauce

The white beans stew in the thick tomato sauce, spiced with paprika. This version of Gigantes Beans is smokey and deliciuos, perfect mopped up with a slab of crusty bread. You can serve it as tapas, on it’s own or as a side dish.

Plus, it’s ready in just 20 minutes!

This recipe was originally published in June 2016. Updated November 2018.

Reader Testimonials for Spanish Beans

Loads of you have been making this recipe! Here are some reader reviews:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐’These Spanish beans were so simple and easy to make, and not to mention delicious. I made the naan bread suggested in the post and that was quick simple and went perfect with the beans. I surly will be making this again and again for my family. ‘ – Karen

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Amazing, really quick, easy and full of flavour. Served the gigantes beans over rice.” – Ali

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This Spanish bean stew was very easy to make and it was delicious!’ – Catherine

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Very simple and tasty. Smoked paprika really adds a layer of flavour. I served over rice for a complete meal.’ – Mitchel

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This has become a regular meal in our house.’ – Katie

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Absolutely delicious! I was pleasantly surprised that little seasoning was needed. I was tempted to add a little ‘All Seasoning’ but it was not necessary. I normally take a photo but the family and I devoured it and there is none left. I would definitely make this again.’ – Debbie

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I used both sweet and hot Spanish pimenton, also some cinnamon, and cooked it slow and long. Good flavour’ – Julia

Have you made these Spanish Beans? Let me know in the comments!

Tips and Tricks for Spanish Beans

I used canned white beans (butter/lima beans) for these gigantes beans but you can also used dried beans. Just soak them for 4 hours or overnight in a bowl with plenty of cold water. Then drain and rinse them before boiling for 45 minutes. Then carry on with the recipe.

You can substitute any other white beans in this bean stew that you have to hand such as Great Northern beans, though I like the large butterbeans, lima beans. They have a great potato-like texture that really makes this a hearty dish.

Be sure to get the onions nice and soft before moving on to the next step so they’re soft and flavorful.

For a quick side dish, my yeast free naan bread recipe is a tasty flatbread that’s perfect for mopping up the Spanish Beans’ juices and only takes minutes to make.

Vegan Spanish Recipes

My husband recently returned from a trip to Almeria in Andalusia, southeastern Spain. He was raving about the beans in tomato sauce that he had and said that they were an amazing vegan option.

I’ve tried to recreate them here, but this is definitely an adaptable Spanish stew dish. If you like things spicy, then go for a hotter paprika, if you like them sweeter then use a sweet/smoky paprika. You could even add a tiny pinch of cinnamon for another flavour dimension.

You can serve these Spanish beans as tapas alongside olives, bread and patatas bravas, perhaps with a few Spanish beers or a big jug of sangria!

I tend to have it simply served with fresh crusty bread to mop up those fragrant juices. You can also serve it as Spanish Beans and Rice, by serving it on a bed of… rice.

How to Make Spanish Beans (step by step tutorial)

1: cook the onion and garlic in a pan until soft.2:add the bay leaves and paprika.3: stir well and cook for one minute.

4: add the canned tomatoes and white beans (butter beans, lima beans etc).5: simmer the Spanish bean stew for 15 minutes until thick.6: add the spinach and stir into the Spanish beans to wilt, then serve.

Get the recipe for Spanish Beans with Tomatoes

💚Did you make this bean recipe? Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment and star rating below and share a picture with the hashtag #veggiedesserts. I love seeing your recreations of my vegetarian and vegan recipes and cakes.

Thanks for checking out my recipe! I love hearing from my readers. You all allow me to do what I love and write this UK food blog, sharing vegetarian and vegan recipes, vegetable cake recipes and also easy vegan desserts. Kate x

Vegan Spanish Beans with Tomatoes

These vegan gluten-free Spanish beans are packed with flavour, but are so easy to make in less than 20 minutes with just 7 ingredients! Perfect served with rice or fresh bread and only 125 calories per serving.

Ingredients

1teaspoonsweet smoked paprikapimenton dulce - or hot paprika if you like it spicy

2bay leaves

2cansbutter beans400ml/14oz (lima beans), drained and rinsed

2cansplum tomatoes400ml/14oz

Sea salt and black pepper

2large handfuls spinachroughly chopped

Instructions

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the onions and fry, stirring continuously, for 3-5 minutes until translucent but not browned.

Add the garlic, paprika and bay leaves and fry for a further minute.

Add the beans and tomatoes. Stir and break up the tomatoes a bit, then season with salt and pepper. Stir well and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, checking regularly so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

As it finishes, stir the spinach through to wilt.

Serve hot or cold, as tapas or a side dish, sprinkled with the fresh parsley.

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Spanish Beans with Tomatoes

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 125Calories from Fat 18

% Daily Value*

Fat 2g3%

Sodium 2mg0%

Potassium 450mg13%

Carbohydrates 19g6%

Fiber 6g24%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 30IU1%

Vitamin C 1.7mg2%

Calcium 20mg2%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Video

Notes

The nutritional information provided is approximate and is created with online calculators. Info will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Made this loads of times – it’s delicious. Sometimes a veggie version topped with halloumi. Sometimes with chorizo and or chicken for a meaty version. Also add a generous splash of red wine to all versions.

I love this recipe! I’ve made this multiple times in large batches for freezing. I usually eat it warm, by itself, and I’ve been adding a couple splashes of extra hot Valentina hot sauce to each serving for an extra kick.

These Spanish beans were so simple and easy to make, and not to mention delicious. I made the naan bread suggested in the post and that was quick simple and went perfect with the beans. I surly will be making this again and again for my family. Oh, today was my first official day as a vegan, what a way to start off… Thank you so much for this recipe.

Mine turned out a bit “creamier” but i think it’s because some of my beans burst during soaking then I cooked them in the slow cooker while I was at work so I could be ready to make this for dinner this evening. All that being said, DELICIOUS thank you for this great recipe!

We use smoked paprika in our cabbage rolls, and this has a very similar taste. I make this for the parents when they come over. Something they don’t usually make, but not so full of foreign spices that they won’t came back over for supper. 😉

I made this tonight. Very nice, very easy. A great way to get some more beans in our diet. I added some frozen peas and used frozen spinach because I didn’t have any fresh on hand which means a whole meal I can put together even if I have few fresh ingredients. Thanks.

Tried this recipe today for lunch. It was quick and easy to make (for someone that wished they could cook amazing dishes but doesn’t know where to start!) Very tasty! And I like the low calorie count! A good meal served on a cold day and healthy too. Enjoyed very much

Made this for my family last night. It was one of the biggest meal successes we’ve had for ages – and we like our food, so that’s no mean feat. Thanks very much! Ps. Might try mixing another type of bean in with it next time.

This recipe is just what I needed! Quick, healthy with minimal clean up for my vegan family. I added basil, white cooking wine and next time will add some mushrooms too. Served over brown rice and everyone loved it!

I have some dried ‘giant’ butter beans that I brought home with me on my last trip to Spain which I’m sure would work perfectly here, with a little adaptation to the method. It looks absolutely gorgeous and a perfect meal to eat whilst enjoying the football.

Find a recipe!

Recent Posts

AFFILIATE LINK POLICY

Kate Hackworthy is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program that provides a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated geolocated sites. Veggiedesserts.co.uk uses Amazon Affiliate links on some posts. This means I make a small commission if you purchase a product through these links, at no extra cost to you.